Careless Music has just dropped James Reid’s latest track “Soda” at midnight this morning, marking the Filipino-Australian pop-R&B artist’s re-emergence in the music scene.

The track is the first of a series of singles that Reid has promised his fans, revealing that he would be releasing more in the first half of the year before focusing on creating his new album. Weaving the heartfelt energy of soul with the playful rhythms of electro funk, “Soda” seamlessly blends these elements together to create an electronically fizzy yet laid-back groove.

Having written and produced most of the piece himself, he shared how it came out of a period of introspection amid quarantine. He wanted to release a track that encapsulates the feeling of starting anew with deep-rooted peace that you can only get from getting to know yourself through hardships.

“Despite the chaos and tragedy that was 2020, it really challenged me and forced me to evolve in more ways than just music,” James says. “So there’s been a silver lining. I made this song as a reflection of that perspective. Learning to ride the highs and the lows. The future is unknown, so all we can do is have enough self awareness to make the most out of life’s surprises.”

This is the first solo project from Reid since his 2017 album, Palm Dreams, that was featured on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart in 2017. Known as a risk-taker with a decade of experience as an entertainer in the Philippines, James aims to use his platform to empower and grow Philippines’ buzzing music industry. Now, he’s working even more passionately as founder of indie record label Careless Music to create his own sound, and form a bridge for local artists to be recognized globally.

Aside from being an award-winning music artist (MYX Music Awards, MTV EMA), James is well-known for his appearances on television shows and movies, which he has also won several awards for. With a successful career spanning over a decade and millions of streams, video plays, and Instagram followers, James’ meteoric rise is definitely not slowing down anytime soon.

Fans can stream the song on all digital platforms here: orcd.co/jamesreidsoda